Top 10 Haunted Places You Must Visit in St. Augustine

America’s Oldest City, and Possibly Its Most Haunted

There is no place quite like St. Augustine, Florida. Founded in 1565, it is not only the nation’s oldest continuously occupied city -it is also one of its most haunted. The centuries have left more than just history here; they have left imprints. Soldiers, settlers, pirates, and plague victims still seem to walk the narrow cobblestone streets long after the sun sets.

If you have ever searched for Haunted St. Augustine or planned to join one of the city’s famous ghost tours, you already know this coastal gem has a reputation for the supernatural. With its ancient cemeteries, eerie inns, and blood-soaked fortresses, there’s no shortage of places where the veil feels thin.

Below are the top ten haunted places you must visit in St. Augustine – each one historically documented, visually stunning, and alive with stories that will stay with you long after you leave.

1. The St. Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum

No list of haunted places in St. Augustine is complete without the lighthouse on Anastasia Island. Built in 1873, this towering beacon has seen shipwrecks, storms, and tragedy. During its construction, several children died in an accident near the site, and many say their laughter still echoes through the spiral stairway.

Visitors on late-night tours often report cold spots, disembodied voices, and fleeting shadows on the stair landings. . Whether you are a believer or a skeptic, the atmosphere is unforgettable.

If you ever wondered what it feels like to stand in one of the most haunted lighthouses in Florida, this is the place to find out.

2. The Old Jail

When it comes to St. Augustine ghost tours, few stops deliver chills like the Old Jail on San Marco Avenue. Built by Henry Flagler in 1891, the jail housed some of Florida’s most dangerous criminals under brutal conditions. The gallows behind the building still stand—a grim reminder of those who never walked out alive.

Today, visitors describe sudden cold drafts, the metallic clank of unseen shackles, and the echo of footsteps in empty cellblocks. Paranormal investigators have captured voices calling for help, and some claim to feel a hand brush their shoulder when no one is near.

If you enjoy haunted prisons and ghost stories rooted in real history, the Old Jail is a must-see. It’s one of the few places in Haunted St. Augustine where you can experience both true crime and the paranormal in the same breath.

3. Huguenot Cemetery

Just outside the old city gates lies Huguenot Cemetery, one of the eeriest and most photogenic sites in St. Augustine’s haunted history. Established in 1821, it served as the resting place for non-Catholics and yellow fever victims who died before they could be buried in consecrated ground.

People walking by at night have spotted ghostly figures between the headstones and strange blue orbs floating near the entrance. The most famous story involves a restless preacher whose apparition has been seen standing beneath the cemetery’s moss-draped oaks, silently watching tourists pass.

Whether you come for the history or the hauntings, this cemetery captures the melancholic beauty that makes Haunted St. Augustine so unforgettable.

4. Tolomato Cemetery

Tucked away off Cordova Street, Tolomato Cemetery is one of the most historically significant and haunted places in Florida. Burials here date back to the 18th century, with over a thousand souls laid to rest, including priests, soldiers, and freedmen.

Visitors often report the faint scent of candle wax, murmured prayers in Spanish, or a soft breeze that feels almost like a sigh. One commonly told legend involves the ghost of a young boy named James who appears near the iron gates, peering out at curious onlookers.

Cemeteries like Tolomato remind us that ghost stories in St. Augustine are never just about fear—they are also about remembrance.

5. Castillo de San Marcos

The Castillo de San Marcos, with its formidable coquina walls, looms over the bayfront like a sentinel of the past. Constructed between 1672 and 1695, it survived sieges, cannon fire, and centuries of warfare. It’s also home to one of St. Augustine’s most famous ghost stories.

Visitors claim to hear phantom footsteps in the powder magazine, feel unseen hands brush past them in the watchtowers, and smell sulfur as if cannons had just fired. One enduring legend tells of two lovers entombed within a sealed chamber—forever bound to the fort and each other.

Standing at sunset within those echoing corridors, it’s easy to understand why the Castillo de San Marcos ghosts are among the most talked-about in the South.

6. Flagler College (Formerly the Ponce de Leon Hotel)

Before it became Flagler College, this grand Spanish Renaissance masterpiece was the Ponce de Leon Hotel, built in 1888 by railroad magnate Henry Flagler. Its lavish architecture and tragic history make it a cornerstone of Haunted St. Augustine.

Staff and students have reported the sound of footsteps pacing the hallways late at night, chandeliers swaying on still air, and a “Woman in Black” who roams the courtyard, possibly Flagler’s mistress who died before the hotel was completed.

By day, it’s a monument to Florida’s Gilded Age. By night, it’s one of the most haunted colleges in America, where the luxury of the past meets the lingering presence of the departed.

7. St. Francis Inn

The St. Francis Inn is more than just one of the oldest inns in the city—it’s one of the most haunted. Built in 1791, it has hosted countless guests, some of whom never checked out. The most frequently reported ghost is a young woman named Lily, believed to have taken her life after a doomed love affair with a soldier stationed nearby.

Guests have described lights turning on by themselves, mirrors fogging with handprints, and a soft knock at their door with no one there. The inn remains a favorite stop on many St. Augustine ghost tours, offering both charm and mystery in equal measure.

If you stay overnight, you might leave with your own story to tell.

8. Don Pedro Horruytiner House

Few homes in Old Town St. Augustine capture the city’s layered past like the Horruytiner House. Built during the First Spanish Period, it served as the residence of Don Pedro Horruytiner, a colonial governor.

The garden is said to be visited by two women in white who appear among the flowers, carrying yellow roses. Their apparition is not menacing, but mournful—lingering out of love rather than anger. Many visitors describe the house as peaceful, though undeniably charged with a sense of unseen company.

It’s one of those St. Augustine haunted houses that proves not all ghosts are restless; some simply wish to be remembered.

9. Casablanca Inn

Perched on the bayfront with sweeping views of the water, the Casablanca Inn began as a boarding house in the early 1900s. During Prohibition, it became a secret ally to rum-runners. The innkeeper would flash a lantern from the balcony to warn smugglers when law enforcement was near.

Even today, guests say that same lantern glows in the window late at night—though no one is holding it. Visitors also report hearing footsteps in the empty hallways and voices whispering just beyond the edge of hearing.

This elegant inn perfectly blends luxury and lore, making it one of the most photogenic and most haunted hotels in St. Augustine.

10. The Spanish Military Hospital Museum

Located on Aviles Street, one of the oldest thoroughfares in the city, the Spanish Military Hospital Museum is a haunting reminder of how fragile life once was. Archaeological excavations beneath the building uncovered thousands of human bones—likely soldiers and patients from centuries past.

Staff and visitors often experience sudden temperature drops, the faint echo of prayers, and the sound of bootsteps pacing the wooden floors after closing time. Some believe the spirits of those who died here remain attached to the place that tried, and failed, to save them.

For history lovers and ghost hunters alike, it stands as one of the most chilling yet fascinating stops on any St. Augustine ghost tour.

Step Into the Shadows of St. Augustine

Every haunted corner of this city tells a story. From the restless spirits of the Castillo de San Marcos to the mournful echoes in Tolomato Cemetery, St. Augustine remains a living museum of both history and haunting.

Whether you’re joining a Destination Ghost Tour, photographing historic cemeteries, or staying overnight in a haunted inn, you’ll feel the same electric mix of reverence and fear that has drawn visitors here for generations.

To make the most of your paranormal adventure:

• Visit at night for the full Haunted St. Augustine experience.

• Bring a camera or EVP recorder—ghostly phenomena often appear unexpectedly.

• Choose guided tours that combine true history with credible ghost research.

• Respect every site; many remain sacred ground for real families.

When you leave, share your experiences with fellow travelers—because every story, every whisper, every flicker of light adds to the legend. St. Augustine isn’t just haunted—it’s alive with the past.